logo
UK lifts years-long ban on Pakistani airlines after improvement in air safety standards

UK lifts years-long ban on Pakistani airlines after improvement in air safety standards

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Britain has lifted a years-long ban on Pakistani airlines following improvements in the country's aviation safety standards, the British diplomatic mission in Islamabad said Wednesday.
The U.K.'s Air Safety Committee imposed the ban after Pakistan's aviation minister in June 2020 disclosed that nearly one-third of the country's pilots had cheated on their licensing exams. The claim came after a Pakistan International Airlines crash killed 97 people on May 24, 2020, in the southern city of Karachi.
Wednesday's announcement follows a broader international recognition of Pakistan's efforts to improve air safety. Earlier this year, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency also lifted its five-year-long ban, allowing the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines to resume direct flights to Europe.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said that after 'extensive engagement' between the U.K.'s Air Safety Committee and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, restrictions on Pakistani airlines have now been lifted. U.K. diplomatic missions in Commonwealth countries are known as high commissions and are equivalent to embassies.
However, Marriott said individual airlines will still need to apply for operating permits from the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority.
'I'm grateful to aviation experts in both the U.K. and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards,' she said. 'While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends.'
The high commission emphasized that decisions on delisting countries or carriers from the U.K. Air Safety List are made through an independent safety process overseen by the Air Safety Committee.
With more than 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the U.K., and thousands of British nationals residing in Pakistan, it said the move will help families to reconnect and potentially boost bilateral trade ties.
Monday Mornings
The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week.
Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif welcomed the decision.
Speaking at a televised news conference on Wednesday, he attributed the ban to what he described as 'baseless' remarks made by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. He said Khan's claim tarnished the country's image and triggered significant financial losses for Pakistan International Airlines.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Restoration of torn-down Confederate monument will cost $10 million over 2 years, military says
Restoration of torn-down Confederate monument will cost $10 million over 2 years, military says

Toronto Star

time30 minutes ago

  • Toronto Star

Restoration of torn-down Confederate monument will cost $10 million over 2 years, military says

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Restoring a memorial to the Confederacy that was removed from Arlington National Cemetery at the recommendation of Congress will cost roughly $10 million total, a U.S. Army official said Wednesday — the latest development in a Trump administration effort to combat what it calls 'erasing American history.' Once back in the cemetery, the monument — described a few years ago as 'problematic from top to bottom' — will also feature panels nearby that will offer context about its history, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity about a project still in progress.

North Carolina Gov. Stein signs stopgap budget bill but vetoes tax credit helping school choice
North Carolina Gov. Stein signs stopgap budget bill but vetoes tax credit helping school choice

Toronto Star

time30 minutes ago

  • Toronto Star

North Carolina Gov. Stein signs stopgap budget bill but vetoes tax credit helping school choice

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed into law on Wednesday a stopgap spending measure while lawmakers remain in a state budget impasse. But he vetoed legislation that would direct state participation in a yet-implemented federal tax credit program to boost school-choice options, suggesting state Republicans acted hastily. The Democratic governor signaled this week he would sign the 'mini-budget' that the GOP-controlled General Assembly sent him last week. But he called it a poor substitution for a full two-year budget that House and Senate negotiators were unable to finalize before the new fiscal year began July 1.

Trump administration reverses Biden approval of major wind farm in Idaho
Trump administration reverses Biden approval of major wind farm in Idaho

Toronto Star

time30 minutes ago

  • Toronto Star

Trump administration reverses Biden approval of major wind farm in Idaho

SEATTLE (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday canceled a major wind farm development in Idaho, a project approved late in former President Joe Biden's term that had drawn criticism for its proximity to a historic site where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. The Bureau of Land Management in December signed off on a scaled-down plan for the Lava Ridge Wind Project northeast of Twin Falls, with 241 wind turbines instead of 400. But the development had been on hold since the first day of President Donald Trump's second term, when he issued an executive order halting the permitting of wind power projects across the country and telling the Interior Department to review the Lava Ridge decision.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store